I read the news today, oh boy! The news headlines from Friday January 24th, 1969 included some news on my Beatles–

• In 1964 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously wrote that “I know it when I see it” as far as pornography goes. In New Jersey state prosecutors decided that the John Lennon/ Yoko Ono album “Two Virgins” was pornography and they warned U.S. record dealers that they would be charged with distributing pornography if they were caught selling this album. {I don’t see why anyone other that a collector who just had to have anything issued by The Beatles or a Beatle would have any interest in this album. I wonder if anyone in the world has listened to it more than once?} The album cover has a frontal nude photo of John and Yoko. The back of the album has a photo of them from behind in all their glory. The album did reach #124 on the album charts in the US- so someone defied the authorities in New Jersey. It didn’t go over as well in the UK failing to make the charts and only selling 5,000 copies.

• The Doors were big in the late 60’s and early 70’s and on this date in 1969 they made an incredible $50,000 for one concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden making it one of the highest paid gigs in rock music that year. The concert was a sell out. Here was the set list–Touch Me/ The Soft Parade/ Tell All The People/ Love Me Two Times/Who Scared You?/ Spanish Caravan/ Wild Child/ Light My Fire. Encore-Back Door Man/ Woman Is The Devil/ Five To One/ When The Music’s Over. — 12 songs total is all they go?

• When I think of the Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco my first thought it the on running joke in 1975 on Saturday Night Live about him still being dead. But in January 1939 the Spanish military dictator was still very much alive at 77. On this date he declared a three month state of emergency and suspended five civil rights -allowing police to search without a warrant, hold prisoners indefinitely without charges, prevent public assemblies and exile dissidents to their home provinces. The censorship of all publications which had been lifted in April 1966 would also be put back into effect- the next day. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Franco died in 1975 at the age of 82- a slow death- the Saturday Night Live joke was based on that- the reports when he was hanging on to life- that he was still alive.